Mixing-machine



, DUND0N Patented Oct. ll, I898.

MIXING MACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 27, 1897.)

(No Model.)

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PATRICK F. DUNDON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

MIXING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No.'i612,317, dated October11, 1898;

Application filed December 27,1897. Serial No. 663,579. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK F. DUNDON, a citizen of the United States,residing at San Francisco, county of San Francisco, and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mixingand Blending Machines for Liquids; and I hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to devices for mixing together and blending liquidsof difierent kinds and for dissolving in liquids material of any kindsoluble thereby, also for extracting gases or volatile matter fromliquids by means of agitation and a peculiar flow and action of thefluids.

My improvements consist of a containing vessel ortank of a suitable sizeor shape to contain the volume of fluid to be treated.

Placed in this vessel or tank is arevoluble impeller or impellers ofconical form, preferably provided with helical vanes on the outside orinside, or both, by means of which the liquid around the impeller is setin rotation about the axis of the impeller With different degrees ofcentrifugal force in different planes, producing an involute action ofthe fluid outward around the periphery and inward toward the center ofthe containing vessel, as hereinafter more fully explained. To theseends I construct machinery and devices, as illustrated in the drawingsherewith, in which I Figure I is a side elevation of a mixing andblending machine made according to my invention set in a tank, a portionof the front of which is broken away to show the impellers. Fig. II is aplan view of Fig. I. Fig. III isa view similar to Fig. I, with theimpellers inverted. Fig. IV is a transverse section of Fig. III on theline a a. Fig. V is another elevation similar to Fig. I, with twoconical impellers set in the same position relatively. Fig. VI is atransverse section through Fig. V on the line 6 c.

The several illustrations show different ways of arranging the conicalimpellers A and indicate the direction of the involute flow set upthereby.

The tanks 13, which are in this case shown as plain cylindrical vesselsdeep enough to admit two impellers A, are large enough to permitinvolute or radial and inward flow caused thereby, as indicated byarrows on the left.

The impeller A, of which there may be two or more arranged in pairs, ismounted on the shaft 0, having a step-bearing D at the bottom, and isdriven by the gear-wheel E, shaft F, and pulleys G, as seen in Figs. Iand II, but may be suspended, having all the bearings above the fluid. 7

When two or more of the impellers A are placed on one shaft or in onevessel,they are joined together by the stays II, which give support andmaintain concentricity of the inner ends of each.

The impellers A are preferably attached to open heads or drivers I, suchas are shown in Figs. III and IV, and are provided on the exterior orinterior, or both, with vanes J, that assist in setting the liquid inrevolution within the containing vessel B.

The diameterof the impeller A can be more or less in proportion to thatof the vessel B. The larger they are in proportion to the volume thesooner the liquid in the tanks B Will be set in revolution and the moreviolent its agitation. The proportions as shown in the drawings give agood result.

The impellers A, I make hollow, so as to permit circulation throughtheir interior, as well as around the outside, and thus increaseadmixture and agitation by counter-currents thus caused.

The operation is as follows: The vessel B, of any convenient form, isfilled with liquid enough to cover the impellers A, but not full, andthe shafts F and C are set-in motion. The impellers A at first causeagitation of the liquid and then set it in revolution, so that the topof the liquid around the impeller by centrifugal force assumes a curvedline, as indicated at L in Fig. I. Besides the general rotary motion ofthe liquid the difference in diameter and centrifugal effect betweenlarge and small ends of the impellers A cause an involute or inwardrolling motion of the liquid, outward from the large ends and inwardtoward the small ends of the impellers, as indicated by arrows in Fig.I, these compound motions producing an effectual and complete blendingor admixture of two or more kinds of liquids at the point between thetwo impellers of each pair where thecurrents intermingle, as shown bythe arrows on the several figures. In Fig. V, where the impellers areboth set' in the same relative position, the currents meet andintermingle between the two impellers as in the other figures, but inthis case meet from opposite directions in the space between the twoimpellers, where the currents tend to pass each other, but produce aring vortex in addition to the whirling motion caused by the revolutionof the impellers on their axis, thus obtaining a very intimate admixtureand blending of the liquids under treatment. By this device I can alsoeffect the rapid reduction of soluble materials placed in the liquid andat the same time liberate any free gas contained therein.

My invention is applicable to mixing and I blending wines and liquors,oils, dyes, and

the like, and in various processes in the manufacture of hydrates of allkinds.

It will be understood that the action of each of the conical impellers Ais in a sense independent and at the same time cooperative, and thestrata of involute or radial and inward flow caused by their taperingform can be repeated as many times as there are pairs of impellersplaced in one vessel, and that-the impellers can be set either way totaper upward or downward, the conical form being the essential feature.

It will also be understood that the purposes of the vanes J beingtractile or to cause adherence between the impellers and the liquid theymay be of any form or of any depth or Having thus described the natureand objects of my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a mixing andblending apparatus, a containing-tank, a revoluble shaft therein, withmeans for rotating the same, and two hollow conical impellers, borne onsaid shaft as on an axis, with a small interval, said impellers havingspiral blades fixed upon the conical surfaces thereof, whereby by therotation of said impellers the fluid in the tank is caused to circulatecentrifugally from the narrower toward the wider openings of the conesand thence outward, meeting and blending in the space between the twocones, sub stantially as specified.

2. In a mixing and blending apparatus, a containing-tank, oneor morepairs of revolving hollow cones on a revoluble shaft, with a smallinterval between each pair, and means for rotating the same, said coneshaving spiral blades on their surfaces, whereby the fluid is impelledfrom the narrower toward the wider ends of the said cones, meeting andblending in the space or interval between the same, substantially asspecified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in thepresence of two witnesses.

. PATRICK F. DUNDON.

Witnesses:

JAMES L. KING, H. SANDERSON.

